Improvement in the manufacture of soap



UNITED STATES PATENT D FIGE.

FRANCIS M. PLEINS, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.

lMPROV EMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SOAP.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,789, dated July 15,1873; application filed June 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

; Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. PLEINs, of-

original proportions of mixtures, used by the inventor tocrutch in thesoap when framing it, to more fully perfect the same.

The main feature in this process is the overcoming of the difficulty tocombine strong soda lyes with fats, on account of the glycerinecontained in the latter, to accomplish which I commence this processwith dissolving carbonate of soda in the following proportions, to wit:7

By using soda-ash of fifty-four per cent. I take- 400 lbs. ash to 2,000lbs. rosin and 6,000 lbs. fat.

and dissolve the respective amount of soda-ash in water to about 20Baum; when dissolved, I add to every one hundred pounds of ash one poundof chloride of lime; let the whole boil up well and then settle. Aftersettling, the clear colorless solution is run into the soapkettle, andthe respective amount of rosin dissolved therein by dry steam. Using salsoda, which I prefer, in connection with sixty-two per cent. causticsoda, instead of soda-ash, I

reckon two and a half pounds of the same to one pound of fifty-four percent. sodaash, throw the required quantity in the soap-kettle, and addone-half pound of water to one pound of sal soda, and let on dry steamand dissolve the rosin, as mentioned above. When, in

either case, all is dissolved, add to this solution-which, technicallyspeaking, forms the bridge by which the strong soda lyes are united withthe fats the respective amount of fat,

and dissolve this also; and then add at once to every pound of fat, andyet unsaponified rosin, caustic-sodalye of such strength that onepoundthereof saponifies one pound of fat, to wit:

By using 76 p0. caustic 1 lb. of 20 B. to 1 lb. fat.

C 4 s" H To explain further, the entire strength necessary to saponifyand make into soap the first proportion-of rosin, two thousand pounds,and fat, six thousand pounds-would be as follows: Whereas, one pound offifty-four per cent. soda-ash, or two and a half pounds sal soda,saponify five pounds rosin, the four hundred pounds ofsoda-ash oronethousand pounds sal soda used in that proportion will suffice for thatamount of rosin two thousand pounds; and only six thousand poundscaustic lye of the required and above indicated strength had to be addedto saponify the whole, but it is safer to retain about four hundred orfive hundred pounds of that lye, and add it gradually by finishing thesoap. When the mass of lye and stock is all'in the kettle, the whole isbrought to boiling by dry -stea1npartly wet steam can be used, if thelye is concentrated and the soap open enough-and finished on its properstrength in the usual way, and then left in the kettle to settle andcool off till ready for the frames. a

When framing, I run the soap from the kettle through a zinc strainerwith little holes punched in it, and which retains all impurities, andthen commence and fill up the required number of frames alike, tothree-fourths or four-fifths full, as the case may be, so as to have thesoap of an even temperature; then I add to eight hundred pounds of soap,according to price, and to make it harder, uniform, and compact, andmore economical in use, the following respective mixtures:

sulphate of soda and two-third of sal soda 210 pounds.

Second proportion- 90 pounds fat, pounds silex, pounds caustic lye, asabove, and pounds 36 Baum solution, as above 295 pounds.

Third proportion- 60 pounds fat, pounds silex,

40 pounds caustic lye, as above, and pounds 36 Baum solution- 355pounds.

To work to advantage in mixing the soap I arrange as follows: The sametime when finishing the soap I dissolve in one kettle the necessaryquantity of sulphate of soda--0nethirdand of sal sodatwo-thirdsto 36Baum density, and then cover. In another kettle I dissolve the necessaryquantity of fat, and cover; to the necessary quantity of caustic lie Iadd to every forty pounds of it one and one-half pound of starch, stirit well and let it soak. When ready to use the mixing in the soap, Imake mixture for three, four, .or five frames at a time, as the case mayrequire, and according to size of mixing-kettle, as follows: Measure ofthe quantity of fat and pour in mixing-kettle, which is so arranged thatit can be heated by dry steam, when necessary; then mix first thequantity of 36 Baum solution of sulphate and sal soda with the requiredquantity of causticsoda lye and starch, to I thin it, and then strainthe whole under steady stirring into the fat,'and as soon as all is inand well mixed add, under steady crutching,

to the soap in the frames the exact quantity above mentioned. After alittle while the soap becomes of a thick pasty consistency, and of avery glossy smooth appearance, and the crutching is to be continued tillthe soap becomes cold enough to let it stand.

' In mixing the second and third proportions the mixing procedure is thesame, with this exception, that only part of the 36 Baum solution ofsulphate and sal soda is used to thin down the caustic lye and starch,and the other part to mix with the silex, which is in every case addedafter the caustic lye and starch are mixed with the fat.

In every instance the ofl'al of a previous batch of soap has to be addedto the rosin and dissolved with it before adding the caustic lye.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process of making hard soap in whichrosin enters as a material in one charge, and I as described.

FRANCIS M. PLEIN S.

Witnesses:

FRANK E. DEGGENDORF, HILARIUS PLIENs.

